Voluntary donation to municipal veterans assistance fund by designation on municipal property tax or motor vehicle excise bills

Section 3F. A city, town or district that accepts this section may designate a place on its municipal property tax bills or motor vehicle excise bills or mail with such bills a separate form whereby taxpayers of the city, town or district may voluntarily check off, donate and pledge an amount of money which shall increase the amount already due to establish and fund a municipal veterans assistance fund which shall be under the supervision of the local veterans agent, the board or officer in charge of the collection of the municipal charge, fee or fine or the town collector of taxes.

Any amounts donated to the fund shall be deposited into a special account in the general treasury and shall be in the custody of the treasurer. The treasurer shall invest the funds at the direction of the officer, board, commission, committee or other agency of the city or town who or which is otherwise authorized and required to invest trust funds of the city or town and subject to the same limitations applicable to trust fund investments except as otherwise specified in this section. The fund and any interest thereon shall be used for the purposes of this section without further appropriation.

Money in the fund shall be used to provide support for veterans and their dependents in need of immediate assistance with food, transportation, heat and oil expenses. The city, town or district's veterans' services department shall: (i) establish an application process for veterans and their dependents to obtain assistance; (ii) establish standards for acceptable documentation of veteran status or dependent status; and (iii) establish financial eligibility criteria for determining need and amount of assistance for eligible applicants. The veterans' services department shall be responsible for reviewing each applicant and fairly applying the eligibility and level-of-need standards.